Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert in jeopardy: Storm Hilary washed out roads

The site of the famed Burning Man Arts Festival is in danger of being washed away as Storm Hillary floods Nevada a week before the iconic desert event kicks off. Organizers warn that roads may be blocked, reports Dailymail.

Photo: IStock

On August 21, organizers struggled to think of a way forward as the desert city of Black Rock in northern Nevada was flooded and roads were closed.

Around 80 people are expected to gather for the open-air art fair, which starts on the 000th and runs through September 27th. The festival, which disappointed many regulars last year, has no room for error this year.

Storm threatens the festival

On August 20, Tropical Storm Hilary hit Southern California with torrential rain, flooding roads. Hilary, a post-tropical cyclone, moved north through Nevada early on August 21 with maximum winds of 62 km per hour. In Nevada, officials are concerned about the possibility of dangerous flooding.

On the subject: Floods, evacuations and earthquakes: Storm Hilary rages in California

Hundreds of people were evacuated along the path of the storm, and there is no electricity in some places. The storm also caused earthquakes. On August 21, a state of emergency was proactively declared in Nevada.

Rain flooded Dodger Stadium, made it impossible for Palm Springs residents to call 911, and caused hundreds of flight cancellations from San Diego, Phoenix and Las Vegas.

On August 20, an evening update specified that Gate Road, the entrance to the festival site, would be closed until at least noon, and possibly longer, depending on flooding. At the moment, this announcement primarily concerns the workers who equip the territory and install various elements of the festival.

“If you were planning to travel to BRC for work, put your plans on hold. It can take over 12 hours for the soil to dry out, so be patient. Additional information will come later,” the account called Burning Man Traffic said in a tweet.

Videos that emerged on the morning of August 21 in Black Rock City show how rain flooded the desert in the area.

Playa seems a little muddy right now. What is the chance it will be dry in a week? #BurningMan # BM2023 pic.twitter.com/8a1n7Zks7B

— Andrey Chursov, Ph.D. (@achursov) August 18

It is not known how long Black Rock City will take to dry out.

Burning man starts soon! pic.twitter.com/BVj5hhMI27

— Ｎｅｒｄｙ ?????? (@Nerdy_Addict) August 20

Significant delays could affect organizers' readiness as visitors start arriving this weekend.

Like the article? Support ForumDaily!?

Whether or not the organizers of Burning Man are ready to weather a tropical storm-sized impact on their plans this year is unknown. Tickets were sold at huge discounts after the festival, which disappointed many longtime fans last year.

bad season

In a typical year, festival tickets sell for $575 plus parking tickets for $150. This year, however, resellers were offering prices as low as $139, with parking ticket prices reduced as well.

Some dedicated fans of the event are less optimistic about this year's festival for a number of reasons, including layoffs of technicians, an influx of influencers to the event, and weather concerns that appear to have come true.

"Last year's festival was hot and hard, and it's part of a trend on planet Earth," said Burning Man specialist Linda Williamson.

Williamson first attended Burning Man in 1997 but will not be returning this season, citing a logistical nightmare last year that resulted in a 10-hour traffic jam to get back to civilization after the event.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants, and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read all this on ForumDaily New York.

“You have to dedicate an entire day just to the process of getting out on the sidewalk,” Williamson said. “I would like to be able to come, but I would also like to be able to leave.”

Last year, some fans reported that they waited 12 hours before leaving camp, and photos from the event show huge traffic jams stretching across the desert.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Singer and composer Toto Cutugno, an icon of Italian music in the world, has died

Learn how much you will earn after graduating from college in the USA.

Vegan company to release plant-based pork ribs with edible bones

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.